Editorial: Important to support each other

Sports reporter Shane Hurndell and Chief reporter Greg Taipari pictured with all the rugby boots handed in for the Bring yer Boots campaign.

Part of Hawke's Bay Today's role as a regional newspaper is supporting local events and causes.

We take this very seriously and while we will never shy away from reporting the hard news or telling the painful truth, we also want to bring a bit of joy and light to our communities.

We support many events in the region like Horse of the Year, the A&P Show, Food and Wine Classic, Hawke's Bay Country2Coast, Signature Dish, the Hospitality Awards and many more.

We also help raise money for people and causes in need. At present we are running a Bring yer Boots campaign, calling on people to donate their old footy boots to kids who need them this winter. To say we have been overwhelmed by the response would be an understatement. Boots of all shapes and sizes, new and old, have poured in.

We also have a number of other initiatives that we will unveil, in conjunction with other organisations, in the next few weeks and months.

But I am pleased that we are part of the inaugural 2014 Pride of New Zealand Awards, which will be launched nationwide early next month.

Hawke's Bay Today will work alongside our sister newspaper, The New Zealand Herald, and The Hits (previously Classic Hits) radio station in recognising the efforts of everyday Kiwis who make a real difference in the communities.

The awards are also supported by other newspapers in the APN stable and TSB Bank, which is a major partner.

There are many different categories to enter, so go to prideofnzawards.co.nz. Four regional award ceremonies will take place in August - the winners from these will be finalists for the national award ceremony in September. So go ahead and nominate someone.